2 teenagers dead after grisly crash in Riverside

Two teenagers were killed in a violent two-car crash in Riverside early Saturday morning, police said. 

Officers were sent to Wood Road near Van Buren Boulevard at around 5:40 a.m. after learning of the crash, according to a statement from the Riverside Police Department. 

They arrived to find that one of the cars had caught fire in the crash. 

Riverside Fire Department crews that were also called to the scene were able to extinguish the flames, discovering that two of the three teenage occupants inside were dead. 

Police investigators say that the gray Lexus was traveling northbound on Wood Road at a high rate of speed when the driver ran a red light at Van Buren Boulevard. 

At the same time, a blue Scion was traveling westbound through the intersection on Van Buren with a green light. 

After the two cars collided, the Lexus continued to travel north, clamming into a cement light pole, a wooden electrical pole and a tree before bursting into flames, police said. 

The 17-year-old male driver and the 18-year-old female passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. A 17-year-old male passenger was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. 

Neither of the deceased victims has yet been identified. 

Police say that the driver and lone passenger of the Scion were uninjured in the crash and remained at the scene to cooperate with their investigation. 

They believe that alcohol and drugs may be factors in the crash, along with speed. 

Anyone who knows more is urged to contact RPD investigators at (951) 826-8723.